Her Prince, His Risk
by LuckyNumbers
Summary: Winry had never cared about Amestris' royal family. Edward's sheltered childhood never let him leave his clean-cut borders, but when fate brings them together, all of the boundries they made are broken.
1. The Parade

**Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist. Yes, I decided to make Ed tall, but that's only because there is no automail to weigh him down and keep him from growing. Plus, I always liked the tall prince character thing.**

Winry was wearing her best dress, though that wasn't saying much. It wasn't that beautiful by anyone's standards, for her family was poor and could not afford to buy fancy dresses, but it did not detract from the natural beauty that her mother and father professed that she had.

She didn't normally wear this dress. It was only for special occasions, but this day, by far, was a special occasion.

At eighteen, the Crown Prince of Amestris, Edward Elric, was to ride through the town.

As he had quite a sheltered childhood, no one really knew what he looked like, except, of course, the King, Queen, younger Prince and some of the nobles.

The town was completely looking forward to it. Well, most of the town was, in any case.

Winry, however, found no interest in it. She found no point in standing outside looking at a man on a horse who they would rarely, if ever, see again.

Her parents told her that she should be interested in who the royals were, because they were the people who would improve their lives.

Her mother was quite an optimist. For years, they had been living on very little money. Taxes were high, and Winry was doubtful that it would change any time soon.

She sighed and walked outside. The procession was going to start soon.

And so it did.

The parade was heralded by a fanfare from men marching with their trumpets in hand.

The Guard, who were all on horseback, came first, headed by General Roy Mustang, someone who was not disliked, but not loved by the people.

It seemed that the entire army passed, and Winry began to feel quite bored.

Suddenly, it seemed, someone had thrown a little girl's doll into the street, and she went to retrieve it, which stopped the procession.

One man, a lieutenant by his looks, looked very angry and dismounted.

"How dare you?" he asked the girl who was now shaking with fear. "You insolent little child!"

The man raised his hand as if to slap the little girl.

Before Winry knew what she was doing or where she was going, she put herself between the man and the girl and received the slap herself.

She heard the gasps of the crowd but did not flinch; she only glared at the man.

"Lieutenant Yoki," said a man's voice, "what is the meaning of this?"

Winry bowed her head, for she only had one guess as to who it might be, since it came from the direction of the procession that had not passed her yet.

"We-well, the small one stopped the procession," Yoki stuttered.

"Really?" The prince asked. He sidestepped Winry to kneel down next the little girl. "What is your name?"

"Nina," said the little girl.

"Well now, Nina, I am sure that your parents taught you that it is dangerous to run out into the middle of a crowded street," he said in a surprisingly caring voice.

"Well, a boy threw my dolly, and I went to go get it," she said.

"You see?" the prince said to Yoki as he stood up. "This one is guilty of nothing but trying to retrieve a doll."

The Prince then looked to Winry, her head was still bowed.

"And you?" he asked her.

"I ran out for I saw that man about to slap the little girl," she said. Her eyes were still on the ground. "Forgive me for saying so, but I do not think that anyone has the right to treat a child like that."

The prince reached put his hand under her chin and lifted her head.

"You have a pretty face," he said, "but you should watch that sharp tongue of yours. It could get you in trouble one day. What is _your_ name?"

"Winry Rockbell, sir," she said, and she quickly looked down again. The prince was quite handsome, and she had to hide her face that was quickly turning a sunburned red.

"Well then," he said, "I believe that both of you should be heading back. Move along, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sire," the rat-faced man said.

Both rejoined the parade as it started up again as Winry and Nina walked back to the side.

"I think the prince is nice," said the little girl, hugging her doll.

"Yes, he is," the older girl agreed. _And he is also highly unusual_, she added in her mind.

Winry made her way back over to her parents.

"Oh, thank goodness," her mother said, hugging her. "I thought for sure that you were going to be arrested!"

"You were very lucky that the prince stepped in," her father said. "You are also lucky that he seems to be a forgiving man."

"Yes, father," she said.

She pondered that for a moment. Why _had_ the prince stepped in? It would have been resolved quicker if he had just let the guard arrest her.

When the parade ended, she walked back to her house in quite a daze. None of it made any sense.

Her world had always been neat and tidy.

She had a caring mother and father, and she had friends. She never cared for the royals because she assumed that none of them had ever cared for any part of her class.

But the parade seemed to have changed something. That morning, she couldn't have cared less about Prince Edward or anyone like him, but suddenly, it was his face swimming in her mind.

He had smiled at her, he had touched her face. Obviously, when one looked at his parents, they would naturally assume that the children would just as attractive, so why was she so caught off guard by him?

It was probably because he seemed to care so much. He stopped the punishment of two girls, and he did not act like a superior. It was almost as if he thought that they were equals.

Winry nearly laughed at the thought of a prince considering commoners equal to him.

That answer seemed correct, but at the same time, it did not.

There was something more to it, but what was it?

_**AN: FINALLY! You have no idea how long it has taken me to churn out this chapter. As for my other stories, currently, they are on hiatus. It's obvious for the Rose/Scorpius one, but I didn't have room on the summary for "Haruhi". As for this, it's going to have some Cinderella influence. I like Disney, just not Disney Channel.**_


	2. The Prince's Inner Struggle

**Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist because I can't draw and live in America.**

Edward practically sauntered back into the palace. He was grinning.

"Why are you so happy?" his father, the king, asked as he saw his son. "I heard that there was quite a commotion down at the procession today. What did you do this time?"

"Why must you always assume that something that goes wrong is _my_ doing?" Edward asked.

"Because it usually is," his father said. "You can't do these things anymore. In one week's time, your fiancé will be here and you will have to prepare for the wedding. You cannot continue to act the way you do when you are the king of Amestris. It will not do."

"I told you that I did not wish to marry a girl that you picked out for me," Edward said defiantly. "I will not meet whatever princess this is."

"Edward, you are going to be King-" his father started.

Edward cut him off. "And what if I don't want to be king?" he asked. "What if I want to become a farmer? What do you say to that?"

"Edward, this is mad," his father said. "You are the heir to the Amestrian throne."

"I will not marry some girl that you choose for me," the Prince repeated.

"And why not?" the older man asked.

"It is not love," said Edward.

"Love? You want _love_, do you?" the King scoffed. "An entire kingdom at your feet and you would give it up for something as trivial as _love_? Trisha!" he called for his wife. "Trisha, come talk some sense into your son!"

But Edward had already started walking away.

"Don't you walk away from me, boy, I'm not done talking to you yet," he called after his son.

"Well, I'm done with you!" Edward shouted back.

The boy walked up to his large bedroom that he shared with his brother.

"I heard shouting," Alphonse said. "You and Dad had another fight, didn't you?"

"You'd be a much better king then I would, Alphonse," Edward said. "You can at least stay level headed. I just let my emotions run away with me."

"What was it this time?" the younger prince asked.

"Nothing," he said. "It's just that it seems that I have no control over my life, even if I _am _the first heir to the throne."

"It's the marriage again, is it?" his brother guessed. "I don't think that you are going to get out of this one, Brother."

"Well, I am going to, Alphonse, just watch me," Edward challenged.

"Perhaps the reason that Father scoffed at your idea of love is that you are not fit for it," his brother offered.

"Perhaps you're right," the prince agreed, but in his heart, he did not fully believe it.

Winry Rockbell, the name of a peasant girl, rang through his head. It was stupid. No one of her status should be of any interest to him.

So why was this any different?

This girl ran out into the middle of a procession to stop a child from being hurt at the chance of being arrested. She was braver than he by far.

"Alphonse, you say that perhaps I am not fit for love?" Edward clarified.

His brother nodded.

"You do not, however, deny its existence?" he asked.

"Of course, I believe it exists," Alphonse said. "It just doesn't show up that often."

"Well, say that you were in my situation," Edward offered, "and it showed up for you. What would you do?"

"I'm not quite sure, Brother," Alphonse said. "Why do you ask?

"No reason, really," he lied.

The truth was that he couldn't get the blonde girl's face out of his head. What if maybe, just maybe, this was love?

Well, whatever it was, it was confusing. For one of the first times in his life, Edward could not describe something. The prince was always regarded as smart with a smart mouth, but this girl made him feel utterly mute, though he had known her for all of five minutes.

"I need fresh air," he said, stretching. "I'll see you later."

"Ok," his brother said.

**AN: Sorry bout shortness (Ed: HEY!), but this wasn't the best chapter. I just had to show Ed's side. This will mostly be in Winry's point of view, but there will be chapters about other people.**


	3. At the Waterside

**Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, but if I did…. *daydreams***

Winry was sitting in her house, oblivious to everything around her. Her mind was elsewhere. It lingered on his face, his words, everything about him.

"Winry, are you ok?" her mother asked her, knocking her out of her reverie. "It seems that you have been silent since we came back home. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, mother, I am fine," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"Just a mother's intuition," she said. "I can tell that you care concentrating hard on something just as I can tell that someday, you will go somewhere, and you will not want me to follow. I just want you to know that, whatever you choose; I will always honor your wishes."

"Mother, that day will never come," Winry assured her.

"Still, I wonder," her mother trailed off.

"Mother, you worry too much," she said. "I think that I'll for a walk."

"Be back before nightfall," her mother told her. "I know that you go into the woods. There are wolves there, you know."

"I shall make sure that I am not eaten by wolves," Winry told her mother. She pulled on her cape and began to walk into the woods

She walked to what she called her "thinking spot".

Truthfully, it was just a pond, but it calmed her down. When she really needed to, she would swim in it, which would make her mother wonder why she would come home wet. She sat on a rock by the water's edge, took off her shoes and put her feet in the cool water.

She looked down at her reflection. It knew all her secrets and would not judge her or tell anyone, therefore, she could trust her reflection implicitly.

"It seems that I have fallen fast for our future king," she said to it, a small smile threatening to claim her lips. "I do not know why. I barely know the man. We could be polar opposites, but I'm afraid I shall never know."

Winry then dove into the water, hoping that its coolness would clear her head.

She had been floating for a while when something hit her arm. It was a small circular rock, and it had scraped her arm so it was bleeding.

She stood up in the shallow water to look at who threw it.

"Who's there?" she asked, trying to disguise the wavering in her voice.

"Sorry," a voice said from close behind. "I didn't see you."

"Well you should be more careful," she said, turning around. "I only got hit on the arm, but someone could get seriously- Oh!"

She nearly fell over when she saw who it was.

The prince was at the lake. The prince was at _her_ lake. And she had spoken too freely.

She quickly bowed her head as she had done at the procession. "Forgive me, sir, for I did not know it was you."

"Well, I don't assume that you want to stand in the water all day," he said, more politely than she ever thought. It had been her perception that perhaps the way he acted at the procession was perhaps an act that he put on to have a good reputation with the people. Even more surprisingly, he offered her his hand.

Tentatively, she took it.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I could be asking you the same question." He laughed. His face then grew solemn, and he looked out at the water. "My guess is that your wondering why a prince would be out in the forest where everything is in disarray when he lives in a clean, orderly palace? Is that what you were going to ask?"

"Well, it wasn't _exactly_ what I was going to ask, but, but-" she couldn't figure out what she was going to say. "You're a prince. Don't you have, I don't know, _things _to do?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "What was I thinking? _What _could be more fun than meeting with the leaders of foreign countries at some drab party where all the men discuss politics and the women are all talking about the latest scandal?"

"Well, it doesn't sound that pleasant when you put it that way," she said. "But you don't know what it seems like for someone of my class. You can't understand what _this _looks like, either." She gestured to herself and him. "It is strangely uncomfortable to sit next to a prince, as strange as that may seem to you."

"But why should it be uncomfortable?" he asked. "We are both people."

"Perhaps that is true," she said, "but we live in wholly different worlds. My father is a blacksmith whereas yours is… Well, he's the king."

"Maybe you are right," he said. "And in many ways, you are much freer than I. At the end of the day, you can choose what you want, and I shall be married off to the princess of some faraway kingdom for diplomatic purposes." His tone was bitter.

"So, you're engaged, then?" she asked. She didn't know why it bothered her.

"Unfortunately," he said. "But I am determined to find a way out of it, though both by father and brother think that I am silly for wanting love over this."

"I don't that it's very silly," she said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes," she told him. "I think that everyone should be able to experience love. I think that there is someone for everyone on this earth and that they just don't know it yet."

"Well, I wish that my family shared your vision," he said. "I am not fond of arranged marriages in the least."

"Have you ever met this girl?" she asked. He shook his head. "Well, then how do you know that you aren't going to like her?" For some reason, it pained her to ask that.

"I don't," he said, "but there is a slim chance of me actually falling in love with her, and I don't want a marriage that is just _fondness_. What do you think?"

"I think that we are being entirely too informal," Winry said, picking herself up. "I apologize for the bold things that I said. It was not my place." She turned around and began to walk away.

"Winry," Edward called after her.

Winry turned around, elated and confused at the same time that he used her first name. "Y-yes?" she sputtered.

"Shall I see you again?" he asked.

"Do you wish to?" she asked. This was very strange to her.

"I would very much like to see you again," he said. "Could you meet me here tomorrow at around noon?" he asked.

Winry only nodded, seemingly unable to form words.

"That's perfect," Edward said. "I shall see you tomorrow." He grinned widely.

Winry nodded again, and she walked away, her heart beating faster than ever before.

_Be careful, Winry,_ she told herself. _You must not forget that he is a prince. Do not hope that by some miracle he will be able to choose you over the foreign princess. For all you know, he doesn't like you. He probably just wants someone to talk to and you were just there conveniently._

But there was still a part of her that didn't believe the voice in her head. That small part of her mind actually believed that he liked her. She knew that she liked him. A part of her really hoped that this was love, and that they could be together.


	4. Confusion

**Disclaimer: Wait a minute. I'm back? I'm not dead? I have no real reason to have gone so long without updating? Bad writer! Bad, bad writer! Oh, and none of the characters belong to me.**

Winry had made it to the water at about a quarter past noon. She looked around its shores and saw no one.

_Perhaps he forgot,_ she thought._ He is a busy man, so it is possible._

Still, she waited, and, unbeknownst to her, she was being watched.

Lieutenant Yoki, it seemed, was a very strange man. If something benefited anyone, he was sure to hear about it first so that he would be able to use it to benefit. But the question is begged that why on _earth_ would he want to spy on a peasant girl?

The answer, in his mind, at least, was simple. From his point of view, she had thwarted him. In his mind, she should have gone to jail, and he would have been the one who arrested her. Obviously, any rational person could tell that he was being incredibly stupid, but the only rational person in close proximity to him knew nothing of the fact that he was spying on her.

He was trying to find something, anything, that could possibly incriminate the girl, and suddenly, he seemed to have gotten his wish.

Winry heard a rustling in the woods and looked up hopefully. Thankfully, it was him. She had been waiting for. She was still not sure what to do, seeing as he was still a prince, so she decided on wearing a pleasant smile.

He was the first to speak.

"Well," he said, "I must admit that I did have my doubts about whether I would see you again. You seemed so shy and… unwilling. I must ask what brought on that strange behavior."

"This is all so strange to me," Winry replied, looking down at the water. "I understand what you said about us being both human, but you treat me with such… respect. I do not understand that. I am of peasant stock. No one as high up as you has ever treated anyone as low as me that way. It is unnerving, in a way. What is it that makes you act this way?"

"My mother," was his quick answer. She immediately felt abashed. She may just have insulted him. "She taught my brother and me to treat all people with respect. Unfortunately, not much can be said for me. I do not speak to my own father the way I do to you, for I loathe the man, you see."

This made her blush harder. "I- I do not think that you should speak of him that way," she said. "King Hoenhiem may not be loved by all, but if any of us spoke so freely…" she trailed off. Sedition was worth at least a year in prison. It would depend on what was said.

"I understand," Edward told her. "But I certainly have no love for the man."

"Do you truly hate the King as much as you say you do?" she asked. "He is your father, after all."

"My mother is very sick," Edward said solemnly. "My father doesn't seem to be doing much about it. He is always away in some foreign country. He says he wants to make _diplomatic _deals with them, like finding me a wife." He spat those last few words.

Winry blushed. She had completely forgotten that the next in line for the throne was chosen a princess when he reached eighteen. She realized that it was silly for her to like him like this. He was to be married to some woman from another kingdom. He would become her King, and that woman would become her Queen.

"I'm going to fight it," Edward said, almost as if he were reading her thoughts. "It is not as if I _wish_ to marry this girl. I've met enough princesses in my life to know exactly what this girl is like. She'll be rich, of course. She'll be pretty, most likely. But she won't be the kind of girl I desire."

"What is the kind of girl you desire like?" Winry asked before she could stop herself. She blushed, knowing that she had just asked a question that she shouldn't have.

Edward, however, didn't seem fazed at all by this question. Instead, he seemed intent on answering it.

He moved his face closer to hers. Winry's face steadily became more and more red.

"The kind of girl I desire," he said, "is sweet. She's brave. She's not afraid to protect a little girl from getting hit in the middle of a parade. And I realize that I will never get any of that in a foreign princess."

They were barely an inch apart, now.

"I am afraid that if I am condemned to live my life the way my father wishes me to, then I shall never be truly happy, and I shall never find love."

Without warning, he was kissing her. She was surprised, but not displeased. She kissed him back without hesitation.

It was only after they broke apart that she realized what she had done.

She stood up and backed away from him. "Oh no," she whispered. "Oh, no no no! This is all wrong!"

"There's nothing wrong with this, Winry," he said, walking towards her.

"Yes, yes it is!" she exclaimed. "You're the Prince. The _Prince_!"

"But I don't want to be," he said. "That wasn't my choice. I'd much rather be with you!"

Winry shook her head. She couldn't take much more of this. She began to run home. Tears streamed from her eyes and blurred her vision. Her rational side just wouldn't let up. Her eyes were red and puffy by the time she got home.

She was lucky that her father was out doing his job, and her mother was at the marked. She didn't want any strange questions at that point.

Edward was left dumbstruck and confused at what had just happened. He was sadden, but strangely not deterred. He knew that she kissed him back. That was a good sign for him. He walked back to the castle quite confused.

The only person in the woods who was actually quite content was Lieutenant Yoki, who had seen everything.

This was greater than anything he hoped for! All he would have to do was wait for the perfect moment and the perfect person to divulge this to. He would be able to make this work in his favor. He would reap the benefits when the time came.


	5. Plans and Orders

**Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist in any way, shape or form. Also, I apologize for any weird spelling errors that may occur. Spell check does not check for whether correctly spelled words fit in the context they appear in. PS: I'm sorry for those who like Rose, but I couldn't find someone else to be the Princess. Just know that she is Rose in name and face only.**

Edward was once again conflicted as he went back to his home. He didn't understand why Winry had run away from him. Why was it so strange for him to want to be with her? Why did it have to matter so much for her if he was a Prince and she was a peasant? It barely mattered to him.

Alphonse was the first to see him when he arrived back at the palace.

"You saw her again, didn't you?" he asked. Edward had already explained everything to him. Alphonse was the only one he could trust to not judge him. Although the older Prince didn't care much for the restrictions of social classes, most others did. Alphonse was one of the rare few who felt the same way as he did.

"Yes," he replied to his brother. "We talked more."

"Something else happened," Alphonse said. Besides being kind, Alphonse was also quite observant.

"You see everything, don't you, Alphonse?" Edward laughed.

His brother nodded. "It's written all over your face. I don't believe that I have seen you this happy before."

"We kissed," Edward confessed. Immediately afterwards, he began to look a little downcast.

"Something is wrong," Alphonse commented. "What happened?"

"She ran away from me, Alphonse," he said. "I know she kissed me back, but then she ran away. She can't seem to let go of the fact that we're of different classes. Why do you think that is?"

"Truthfully, brother," Alphonse said, "you come from two completely different worlds. You really don't know much about her life, and she doesn't know much about yours. You can understand how, for a peasant girl, it could seem intimidating."

"But it doesn't have to be," Edward argued.

"It doesn't matter what it doesn't have to be like," Alphonse said. "It matters how it is for her at this moment. In her world, you are so far out of her reach. She believes that she can't possibly stay with you. That's why she's trying to push you away. She doesn't want to be hurt."

"How do you know all this?" the elder Prince asked.

"I am simply observant, brother," the younger answered. "People aren't that hard to figure out once you know a few basic things."

"You always seemed smarter than me, Alphonse," Edward said.

"It isn't that hard, brother," Alphonse replied, slyly.

"You should watch what you say to your future King," Edward jokingly warned.

"And what a dark day for Amestris it will be when you assume the throne!" Alphonse remarked.

The two brothers kept joking around with each other. It was easy for Edward to relax in that situation. He wasn't bothered by all those nobles who kept pestering him with questions about his future Queen or how he would conduct affairs as King. He didn't have to keep his guard up with his brother as he did with his father, who was always saying how he should grow up (though, truth be told, Alphonse did constantly tell Edward that he needed to grow up. It was just in a less condescending manner).

It was nice for Edward to know that no matter how many times he messed up, he could always talk to his brother about it. Even though they differed in age by a year, they were as close as two brothers could be.

That was why the Prince was so annoyed when a servant came to tell him that he was being summoned by his father.

"Please, at least _try_ to be civil," Alphonse urged.

"That's quite easy for you to say," Edward grumbled. "You are not the one who gets summoned to the throne room three times a day. I shouldn't have to be called like some common pup."

"And yet, you are," Alphonse said. "You'd better go before you make Father angry."

"Like I care if he's angry or not," he muttered.

It was a long walk to the throne room. Edward wished that he didn't have to do it alone. He always received strange stares when he did.

"What is it you wanted to see me about, Father?" Edward asked, trying to keep his voice calm."

"Edward, I know how much you protest to this marriage," began the King, not bothering with niceties, "but you must know how important this is to the throne! I cannot have you bring this country's government to its knees simply by saying you want something as trite as 'love'!"

"Father, I-" Edward began, but he was cut off.

"Let me finish!" Hoenheim commanded. "Still, I can see how adamant you are in your ideals. So, tomorrow night, we shall hold a ball, and Princess Rose will be there. You will be able to choose any of the girls there, including her, but, if by the end of the night, you have still not decided, you will marry her. Am I understood?"

"Clearly," Edward mumbled. He knew he would not choose this "Princess Rose", whoever she may be. He would make sure that Winry was there. He would be able to marry the girl he loved, after all. The King did not know he was playing right into his son's hand.

**Meanwhile**

Lieutenant Yoki was sent to go fetch the Princess. Prince Edward would not see her until the ball the next night, but it was imperative that she arrived the day before.

"I cannot believe that they are giving the Prince the opportunity to marry someone _other_ than me!" Rose exclaimed when she first got into the carriage. "I traveled here expecting to become Queen, and now I hear that any girl may very well take my place."

Yoki, who found this to be the perfect opportunity to divulge what he knew said, "Well, Princess, I happen to know _exactly_ how you can ensure that you become Queen."

"You do?" she asked. "Well don't keep it to yourself, you common rat! Tell me!"

"Of course, my lady," Yoki said. "But before I do, would you mind if we discuss the subject of payment?"

Princess Rose, who was impatient to hear how to guarantee her throne, did not wish to discuss anything. She therefore dropped a large, silk bag full of gold coins on the Lieutenant's lap. "Talk," she ordered.

"Yes, your majesty," Yoki obliged, a large grin on his face. "I happen to have exclusive knowledge of the fact that the Prince has a lover. Not only that, but she is a peasant. I am quite sure that he will be expecting the girl at the ball so he can announce his engagement to her. This cannot happen if she is not there, of course. One might be able to, uh, _detain_ her somewhere until the wedding. That way, you can rest assured that you will become Queen."

"That is perfect!" the Princess exclaimed. "I just have one question. What is the girl's name?"

"Winry Rockbell," Yoki answered.

The two seemed to forget that the footman could hear everything that they were saying. Still, he thought it none of his business, at the time.


	6. Checkmate

**Disclaimer: FullMetal Alchemist is the property of Hiromu Arakawa.**

**A/N: I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK~ *laughs manaically***

"A _ball_?" Winry exclaimed as her mother rushed in with the news that she had just heard from town. "Are you sure that you have heard correctly, mother?"

"A masquerade ball, actually. And of course I have," her mother defended. "I could not keep this to myself if I had wanted. Every girl who is fit to marry is allowed to go. What do you think? It would be wonderful if you could see inside the palace, even if it is for just one night."

"Well, I don't know…" the girl stammered. Yes, this would be the perfect opportunity to stay with Edward, but she was unsure of whether or not it was the right thing to do. After all, she knew nothing of being a Queen, but of course, she would not say a word of that to her mother. She didn't know what would happen if she found out about her daughter's secret meeting with the _Prince_ of all people! She had to come up with a plausible excuse. "I don't have a dress that is worthy of a royal ball."

It seemed, however, that whoever it was who controlled fate, thought differently, as someone knocked at the door.

Winry went over to open it and saw a mail-carrier holding a rather large box.

"Are you Winry Rockbell?" he asked. The blonde girl nodded. "This is for you." He handed her the box.

Winry, who was not expecting anything from anyone, asked him, "Who is it from?"

The man shrugged, turned and left.

Winry looked at her mother and then back at the parcel. Surely it couldn't be… No, that would be silly.

Still, she opened the parcel quickly, just to find out what it was. Sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed. Inside the box was the most magnificent ball gown that she had ever seen along with an ornate harlequin mask.

"Winry, it's _beautiful_," her mother exclaimed. "Do you have any idea who could have sent this?"

Winry actually had a very good idea as to the person who sent it, but she didn't say anything. She had a feeling that her mother didn't really want an answer, anyway.

Her mother helped her try on the dress, and, as if it was tailor-made for her (which, she thought, was actually quite likely, considering the circumstances), it fit perfectly. In the back of her mind, she had to wonder how Edward had figured out her measurements, but she decided that she really didn't want to know, after all. She wouldn't nitpick over this gift.

Her mother, upon seeing her young daughter in a beautiful ball gown, looked like she was about to cry. She mumbled something about her little girl being all grown up.

"Well, Winry," she said, "if this doesn't steal the Prince's heart away, then I don't think anything will."

Winry smiled inwardly at her mother's comment. She knew that the older woman had no idea of the truth of her words (and she knew that, were her mother to learn them, the woman would have a heart attack!)

A few days later, her mother had gone to the market for the day, and Winry had elected to stay home. It was only two days until the ball, and she was stressing about it. A couple times, she had considered not going, but then she pictured Edward. She knew that he would have to pick his future bride at this ball, and if she wasn't there, it put her out of the running. As much anxiety as she had for knowing that she wouldn't be able to rule a country, she couldn't bear to think that he could end up with some other woman.

It was during all these thoughts that she did not hear someone enter the small house. If it wasn't for her inattentiveness, she probably would have heard the man sneak up behind her.

As it was, she wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings at all. Because of this, she was taken completely by surprise as a large, burly man seized her from behind and refused to let her go.

"Let me go!" she yelled. She was kicking at him as hard as she could but he was as unaffected as if she was hitting a brick wall.

It was at this point where a dark skinned girl (undoubtedly, she was from the East) with an air of superiority around her entered the room followed by the man Winry recognized as Lieutenant Yoki.

The Eastern girl looked past Winry to her captor. "Please, Mr. Buccaneer," she said in a falsely sweet voice, "shut that thing up. The noise is offending my ears."

"Right away, Princess Rose," said the voice from behind, and suddenly, a cloth was being used as a gag. Winry fell silent.

This time, the girl known as Princess Rose looked directly at Winry. She made a small noise of disgust. "_This_ has somehow stolen the Prince's heart? I cannot believe it. No, it is a pest that must be removed." She addressed Winry directly, now. "I do not understand how you could have bewitched Prince Edward," she said, her voice sounding like poison, "but let me tell you that you will not be the one to have him. The fact that the ball is a masquerade is going to be his overly-romanticized downfall. All I have to do is simply don this dress and mask that it seems he sent you, and I will be set. He will choose me as his bride, thinking that I am you. I am told that the choice made that night is final and binding, according to his father. By the time he realizes that I am not you, it will be set. I will become Queen, and your precious Prince will be mine as well. Perhaps, if you are lucky, I will let you be one of my servants." Rose let a vicious smile adorn her lips. She turned again to the man holding Winry. "Take her away," she ordered.

She watched her one obstacle get dragged away before turning to the Lieutenant. "Stifle any and all news of a missing girl. Give the parents some story about the girl not wanting to be found. No one else will pay them any mind after that."


End file.
